It doesn’t matter whether you are an academic. I started making goals in this category long before I had any degrees. This category engulfs academia and spawns a much larger topic.

Creating.

A blue jay only makes one type of nest. It is not in its genetic make-up to create a new type of nest. Its civilization doesn’t depend on creating.

You aren’t a bird. You are a human and you need to be creating and thinking.

Unlike the bird…

Your mind needs to explore and discover.

Your mind has the ability to surprise, shock and awe.

Your mind wants to traverse the landscape of everything beautiful and everything true.

Your mind wants to design and create more than one type of birds nest.

You live in a society that is saturated with information. Oodles of information! New ideas are shared through TED, new studies are conducted by “them” and new tidbits of obscure information is posted on your Facebook wall.

But how much can you ingest at one time?

You need time to digest, metabolize and create something with that information.

A little information is better than a lot.

Extra attention on something little is better than no attention on something big.

So, write in a journal. Make hardcopy photographs. Scribble on a page. Go to a conference. Buy an easel. Engage with people. Engage with strangers.

Your mind is dying for more than movies, television and gossip.

Several years ago, some friends and I started a group at the University we were attending. We called our group THINK. It was an opportunity for us to imagine and converse. We discussed new ideas with friends and strangers in a creative setting, all for the sole purpose of discovery, development and curiosity.

A person letting out his dreams

The thought was simple: to create a setting, which promoted creativity, dialogue and conversation – all at a slightly deeper level.